Footwear



Feb. 21, 192.8.' 1,660,046

v. B. PHILLIPS FOOTWEAR rd. Filed aman/? Z Patented Feb. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR B. PHILLIPS, 0F CLEVELAND,

OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO BOURN RUBBER MANU- RHODE ISLAND.

Application. me@ January 22, 1927. serial No. 162,815.

This invention pertains to footwear and more particularly to overshoes, womens gaiters, galoshes or similar articles adapted to be worn over the ordinary shoe to protect the foot and lower part of the leg from wet and cold. 1

Manufacturers are now making overshoes with permanently attached cuffs to impart an ornamental finish to the top of the overshoe. Sometimes these cuffs are of the same material as the top of the overshoe and sometimes of other materials, for example, plush, fur, etc., but these cuffs constitute a permanent part of the overshoe, and as overshoes are made in a wide range of sizes, it is obvious that the shoe retailer can not be expected to carry overshoes having cuffs of a great man different colors or materials.

Persons W o are fastidious in dress Wish to have their several articles of apparel in harmonious colors or materials, but owing to the limited stock of overshoe cuffs usually available, it is difficult, and often impossible, to obtain overshoes having cuffs of a suitable color or material to meet the wearers requirements. `In accordance with the present invention, I construct the overshoe, galosh, gaiter, Russian boot or the like in substantially the usual manner, omitting the permanently attached cuff, but I furnish the upper part of the overshoe with one or more fastener elements, for example, snap fasteners, buttons, buttonholes, hooks or eyes. I 'then furnish each pair of overshoes with one or more pairs of cus or cud foundations, such cuffs or foundations having fastener elements complemental to those car- 'ried b the overshoe, thus adapting the cuff or cu foundation to be attached to or de- 40 tached from the overshoe at will.

Detached cuffs of thischaracter may readily be made in a great variety of materials and colors since they are much less expensive to manufacture than a complete shoe and especially as they need not necessarily follow size standards so closely as the overshoes. Within the scope of the present inventi'on, I contemplate, as above noted, the manufacture and sale of what I have termed cuff foundations, that is to say, bands or strips of suitable material provided with the proper fastener elements and adapted to be covered in accordance with the desires of the jobber, retailer or user with material or substances adapted to impart the desired l of large and ornamental character if desired surface .appearance and which may match or provide a pleasing contrast to the coat, gown or other garment with which the cuff 1s to be worn.

Obviously, such cuil's may be made as com- 60 plete rings if desired, for example, when' intended to be worn with a Russian boot, but I contemplate that the more usual form offcuf will consist of a simple elongate stri or band of vmaterial having the attache fasteners secured thereto and if desired hav-v ing additional fastener elements at its ends to permit the ends to be joined to form a complete ring or circle when in use.

When certain materials are employed as the base or supporting element of the cuff, for example, Waterproof or other relatively stiff materials, I may rovide the cuff with a preformed fold or ap disposed substantially parallel to or at a more or less acute angle to the plane of the main body or cuff, and attach the fastener elements to this fold or iiap. This permits the cuff proper to lie smooth and free from wrinkles or puckers while at the same time, the fastener elements are wholly concealed vfrom view. However, I contemplate that under other circumstances, this vflap may be dispensed with and the fastener elements attached to or formed in the main body of thecuf. Thus for example, when buttons are employed, these buttons may be secured to the shoe upper and the cuff provided with buttonholes. In this case the buttons may be 9o thus enhancing the appearance of the cuff.

I wish it to be understood that the invention so far as its broader aspects are concerned is not limited to the specific disposal of or means for supporting the attaching or 95 fastener elements and that the above suggestions as to specific types of such fastener elements are cited merely by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated certain embodiments of my invention by way of example and in the drawings- Fi 1 is a side elevation of an overshoe of su stantially usual type having an ornamental cuif at its top;

Fi 2 is a side elevation of my improved overs oe omitting the cui and showing one type of attaching fastener elementmounted upon the upper part of the shoe;

Fig. 3 is a developed view vof a cuff adapt- `showlng the parts detached and juxtaposed;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the vupper art of an overshoe showing a cuff secured) thereto by means of buttons paissing through a downturned flap onthe cu Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but show ing the buttons engaging buttonholes formed directly in the cuff proper;

Fig. 8 is a vview illustrating the application of hooks and eyes for attaching the cuff, and

-F1 9 is a perspective view illustrating a cu in the form of a completel ring.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 indicates an overshoe of any usualtype comprising the upper 2 which is usually of water roof fabric, and the lower art 3, usual y of rubber or rubber coated fabric. This overshoe is, as usual, provided with a front opening which is here shown by way of example, as furnished with a row of fastener elements 4 adapted to be brought into or out of engagement by means of a slider 5 of well known type.

This overshoe is provided with a cuff 6' which may, as above suggested, be of the same. material as the upper, or of fur, velvet, ornamental leather, or any other suitablematerial providing the desired effect. In accordance with the present invention this cu' is detachable and to retain it in desired position I' furnish the top portion of the upper 2 of the overshoe with one or more, preferably several, fastener elements. As shown in- Flg. 2 these fastener elements are snaps 8 disposed closely adjacent to the top edlge 7 of the u per.

In` igs. 3, 4 an 5, I have illustrated a cuff offsuitable t pe for use with the overshoe 'of Fig. 2. `is cuf consists of a. strip 6 of suitable" material, waterproof if desired which may be itself of such a charac:u ter -as to furnish the desired surface finish 'which is comprehensively .indicated at 6",

-while on the other hand, this strip 6"L may form merely a' support for such outside `surface finish, consisting for example, "of velvet,

fur, enamel, etc., suitably aliplied toi; the outer face of the strip 6*. fgdesirefd, I may bend or fold the strip to prdvide an attached iap `9 disposed substantially parallel to or at a more orless acute an gle to the body portion of thel cuff. This ap 9 carries the fastener elements 10 complemental to the elements 8 of the shoe upper, thus permitting the cuff to be attached to the shoe upper in themanner indicated in Fig. 4. While I have shown this attached flap consisting of a fold of the stripa it may, if desired, be formed as a separate strip secured or otherwise attached to the Strip 6a.

I may also .provide the ends of the band forming the'cuff with eyes 11 and hooks 12 or equivalent means for uniting the ends of the band when in use but these fastener elements at the ends ofthe band may be omitted if desired.

-In Fig. 3 I have Shown a cuff foundation consisting merely of a base 13' ofsuitable material having fastener elements for example ordinary fastener sockets 10a which are adapted to engage the complemental snaps 8 at-the top of the overshoe. This band 13 of foundation material may be sold 14 so as to leave a flap 15 o the foundation 22 secured tothe u per 2. In Fig. 7 I'show the cuff 6 unprovi ed with a flap, but hav- `ing .buttonholes 21"in;the upper part of the and cuff proper. These buttonholes receive but.

tons 22.l secured to the shoe upper and if these buttons be of ornamental character,

they may, by vproper selection of color or shape be made to enhance the ornamental appearance of the cuif.

f In Fig. 8 I have shown the upper 2 of the overshoeprovided withan eye 18 of a character suc dressmaking which is ada ted to receive a hook 19 secured tothe cu -6. In this view the cuff consists merelyof a piece of plush for' example as is employed in t or fur having the foundation of skin portion v 20 from which the ile or-hair ro'ects.

In Figr9 the cu 6" is .in t e orm of a complete ring or circle and I showit as furnished with an inner downturned flange 9' provided with the fastener elements 10. This form of cuff is intended primarily for use with a Russian boot or the like which has no front opening, but might be used with an ordinary overshoe if desired.

As above stated the manufacturer may furnish' each pair of overshoes with several pairs of cuffs of different materials or colors, Vor with several cuff foundations, thus enabling the wearer` to select or provide himself with the cuff best harmonizln with his other garments at any partie ar time. Moreover, such cutis may be furnished to the dealers inde endently of the overshoe, and as these cu s need be made in but few slzes and are relatively cheap as compared with the overshoe as a whole, it is possible for the retail dealer to carry a large assortment of cuil's in stock. While I have shown certain desirable embodiments of the invention I wish it to be understood that the invention is not thus limited but that I contemplate other arrangements and particularly variations in the materials employed and in the proportions of parts as falling withinthe scope of my invention.

I claim: l

1. A waterproofv overshoe havingl an upper, fastener elements attached to t e upper near its top edge, and a detachable cuff comprising an elongate stri of material folded longitudinally to provlde a relatively narrow attaching flap and a relatively wide body portion, fastener elementsv secured the attaching fiap, and fastener elements secured to opposite ends of the strip to unite said ends whereby to form a complete circular cuf.

2. A waterproof overshoe having an upper, a series of fastener elements extending along the to edge of the upper,'an elonate strip o material, saidstripl having -a onvitudinal fold forming two p 'es, one of sai plies normally engaging the outer surface of one of the members constituting the top portion vof the shoe upper, a series of fastener elements attached to the. inner surface of said latter ply, said elements being complemental to those carried by the lshoe upper and normally engaginglfthe latter, the other ply depending from t e fold line to provide a cuff-like member adapted to embrace the shoe upper.

3. A detachable cuff for waterproof overshoes comprisin an elongate rial, saidY strip aving a longitudinal fold line ad'acent to one edge, the broader por tion o the strip at one side of the old -to secure the cuil' to the upper.

strip of mate-- line having a finished surface, and a series of fastener elements'extendin substantially from one end to the other o 'the narrower portion of the strip at the opposite side of the fold line, said fastener elements being arranged detachably to engage complemental fastener elements at the outer surface of the top edge portion of the shoe upper.

4. A waterproof overshoe having an uper rovided with an opening, a cuff emvracln the to of the upper, the ends of the cu beingl isposed respectively adjacent to opposite sides of said opening, and the upper ed e of the cuff being su stantiall iush wit 'the to of the upper, said cu comprising an e ongate strip of material an attaching flap secured to its up per e ge, said flap normally engagin the surface of the upperl av series of space fastener elements extending substantially from one end of the Hap to the other, and a series' of complemental fastener elements carried by the upper and normally engaging the e ements on the iap whereby detachably overshoe comprising an 5; A waterproof at the front, a cuff upper havin an openin embracing t e upper, t being disposed respectively adjacent to opposite sides of the front opening of the upper, said cuff comprising a strip of ornamental material of substantially uniform width and a relatively narrow attaching flap depending from the upper edge of said ornamental strip and disposed at the inner sideattaching flap normally ofthe latter, said and complemental fasengaging the upper,

tener elements carried'by the flap and upsaid fastener elements norn mally engaging whereby to retain the cuff in position but being readily separablef'to rmit removal of the cuff.

6. A detachable culi for waterproof -overshoes comprising an elongate flexible band having an ornamental outer surface, attaching means united to said band, and a series of fastener elements carried by the attaching means, said band being arranged to extend substantially around the outer surface of one of the members constituting the top portion of the shoe upper, the fastener elements being arranged detachably to engage complemental fastener elements carrie by per respectively,

- the shoe puper with the line of union of the band, and attaching means substantially flush with the'top ed of the upper.

Signed by me at oston, Massachusetts, this 19th day of J anuail'y, `192'?.

VICTO B. PHILLIPS.

e ends of the cuil seV 

